The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a Fibre Channel switch system for information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Some IHSs include storage area networks (SANs) that provide a plurality of storage IHSs that communicate with server IHSs to provide storage of information for the server IHSs. In many cases, those SANs are connected to the server IHSs using a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric that is currently the core component of most SANs. That FC fabric is enabled using FC switch IHSs that incorporate expensive and proprietary FC switch chips and FC software stacks. Those expensive and proprietary FC switch chips and FC software stacks require relatively large upfront investments that have provided a barrier to entry to the FC market that has resulted in a consolidation of the FC market, and impeded the adoptions of SANs.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved FC switch system.